Real Steel
Stream
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Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who retired from the ring when robots took over the sport. After his robot is trashed, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son to rebuild and train an unlikely contender.
What critics thought
A crowd-pleasing but formulaic Rocky-with-robots story that split critics between those who found its emotional beats genuinely effective and those who felt the father-son clichés dragged it down. Audiences embraced it far more warmly than critics did, and that gap tells you most of what you need to know — this is a film built for the multiplex crowd rather than the critical establishment.
“Real Steel is a real movie. It has characters, it matters who they are, it makes sense of its action, it has a compelling plot. Sometimes you go into a movie with low expectations and are pleasantly surprised.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Rocky with robots? It's not quite in Balboa's weight class, but Real Steel at least has some heft. There's barely a story beat among the beat-downs that you won't expect, and sometimes the saccharine gets in the way of the spectacle, but on the whole this is enjoyable family entertainment.”
James White·Empire
“Though the premise of fighting robots does seem a plausible and intriguing extension of the contemporary WWE world, Real Steel is hampered by leaden, clichéd moments in which a stubborn boy teaches his childish father a valuable lesson.”
Claudia Puig·USA Today
Accolades
Genres
Action, Science Fiction, Drama
Cast & Crew
Shawn LevyDirector
Hugh JackmanCharlie Kenton
Dakota GoyoMax Kenton
Evangeline LillyBailey Tallet
Kevin DurandRicky
Anthony MackieFinn
Hope DavisAunt Debra
James RebhornMarvin
Karl YuneTak Mashido
Sophie LevyBig Sister
Tess LevyLittle Sister
Olga FondaFarra Lemkova
John GatinsKingpin
Danny ElfmanComposer
PoeComposer
Jeremy LevenWriter
Dan GilroyWriterJohn GatinsWriter
Mauro FioreCinematographyReal Steel
Charlie Kenton is a washed-up fighter who retired from the ring when robots took over the sport. After his robot is trashed, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son to rebuild and train an unlikely contender.
What critics thought
A crowd-pleasing but formulaic Rocky-with-robots story that split critics between those who found its emotional beats genuinely effective and those who felt the father-son clichés dragged it down. Audiences embraced it far more warmly than critics did, and that gap tells you most of what you need to know — this is a film built for the multiplex crowd rather than the critical establishment.
“Real Steel is a real movie. It has characters, it matters who they are, it makes sense of its action, it has a compelling plot. Sometimes you go into a movie with low expectations and are pleasantly surprised.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“Rocky with robots? It's not quite in Balboa's weight class, but Real Steel at least has some heft. There's barely a story beat among the beat-downs that you won't expect, and sometimes the saccharine gets in the way of the spectacle, but on the whole this is enjoyable family entertainment.”
James White·Empire
“Though the premise of fighting robots does seem a plausible and intriguing extension of the contemporary WWE world, Real Steel is hampered by leaden, clichéd moments in which a stubborn boy teaches his childish father a valuable lesson.”
Claudia Puig·USA Today
Accolades
Genres
Action, Science Fiction, Drama
Cast & Crew
Shawn LevyDirectorHugh JackmanCharlie KentonDakota GoyoMax KentonEvangeline LillyBailey TalletKevin DurandRickyAnthony MackieFinnHope DavisAunt DebraJames RebhornMarvinKarl YuneTak MashidoSophie LevyBig SisterTess LevyLittle SisterOlga FondaFarra LemkovaJohn GatinsKingpinDanny ElfmanComposerPoeComposerJeremy LevenWriterDan GilroyWriterJohn GatinsWriterMauro FioreCinematographyStream
Rent & Buy